Jason Kidd and 5 NBA Veterans Who Will Thrive in a Shortened Season

The National Basketball Association officially cancelled its first two weeks of regular season games on Monday night.

No one was surprised.

The league is bleeding money, but the ballers refuse to take a pay cut. Consequently, the lockout persists, with the two sides still miles apart in their negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

A small subset of players are actually relieved to be preparing for a shortened season. Although the desire to play is always there, the chief concern for accomplished NBA veterans is to finish the campaign healthy and effective.

Durability should be less of an issue with this reduction to the schedule. The following individuals expect to see plenty of minutes on the court in 2011-2012 (provided that we salvage some of it). 

Kendrick Perkins (C), Oklahoma City Thunder

Perkins missed the first three months of 2010-2011 with a knee injury. In one of the strangest trades of the season, the dominant defender was sent from Boston to Oklahoma City—from one contender to another.

It was a bizarre season for Perkins, who wound up playing more playoff minutes than regular season minutes for the Thunder.

The extended break ensures that Perkins is fully recovered. More importantly, it presents him with ample time to meet with his Oklahoma City teammates and develop some chemistry. During the 2011 postseason, it was clear that he wasn't entirely acclimated yet.

Additionally, Perkins was arrested in mid-August at the after-party for one of his own fund-raising events. As the lockout continues, this incident is being forgotten.

Chris Kaman (C), Los Angeles Clippers

Kaman started a career-low 15 games last season, and only a handful came in the new year.

While he is too injury-prone to be considered a bona fide star, Kaman was terrific in 2007-2008 and 2009-2010. Plus, he's being paid like an All-Star, and with that comes certain expectations.

Kaman has spent his offseason jamming with NBA Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki and the German national team. He even out-scored the future Hall of Famer in a couple of victories!

A shorter NBA season is exactly what Kaman needs for a potential comeback year. The reps he's been getting overseas should pay dividends with the Clippers.

Kevin Garnett (PF), Boston Celtics

This unique scenario presents Kevin Garnett with an opportunity to reclaim the effectiveness he had with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Since the blockbuster trade in 2007 that brought him to Beantown, Garnett has had his regular season minutes and games managed conservatively. He has sat out double-digit contests in each of the last four seasons.

The aftermath of Perkins' departure to Oklahoma City should end that streak.

Pardon the pun, but he provided plenty of perks while in Boston—chiefly lock-down defense. Now, there is more urgency to have Garnett on the floor. 

With his advanced age in mind, I'm oddly optimistic that his 2011-2012 will stack up to his inaugural Celtics campaign.

Tim Duncan (PF), San Antonio Spurs

Duncan was particularly babied last season. His Spurs were practically playoff-bound by Christmas, going on to clinch the Western Conference's No. 1 seed.

His career-worst 28.4 MPG can be attributed to San Antonio's regular season dominance.

Also in his mid-thirties, Duncan is unlikely to suddenly become a better player because of extraneous time off.

However, he is in the final year of a monster contract. If Duncan has aspirations to squeeze out a few more years as a starting power forward, the Spurs will give him ample playing time to assess how much he really has left in the tank.

Jason Kidd (PG), Dallas Mavericks

The triple-double machine had a surreal season for the Mavs. Kidd returned to the NBA Finals for the first time in a decade, but this time captured an elusive championship.

Like Duncan, Kidd was kept fresh during the winter. The playoffs, on the other hand, have a way of pushing you to your limits. Dallas' deep run necessitated Kidd to be at his best for 21 straight games.

Kidd is among the oldest starting players in the league (probably the oldest, but I haven't confirmed that). Nobody will benefit more from a shortened season.